San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-11-25
HORSE SENSE"
Remarkable Specimens With This
Much Lacking Gift.

Remarkable Specimens With This
Much Lacking Gift.
Last night after Prof. Bristol had ex-
hibited his school Of trained horses ut
the theatre, LIGHT reporter was intro
duced to him and as his conversation is
very interesting, especially in this, the
greatest horse market in the country,
his remarks were taken verbatim.
IL began as boy training horses,
about six and twenty years sgO. | had
horse | rode TO school and back and
taught him a great many tricks. They
got me to exhibit him at "a school exhi-
bitiOn and this was my first step in the
show business. learned it myself, and
began after the old circus way, but used
the whip very little, giving them candy,
apples, sugar, corn and 50 forth, mostly
what each hOrse liked. The two princi-
pal Indications Of a horses qualities for
! training are the eye and the ear. |
study the shape Of their heads and their
actions and | believe | can read their
thoughts by these. II horse Is going to
be suIky, the muscles will be rigid and
the ears stiff and mOtiOnless till he con-
cludes what to do. Then the ears will
begin to work. If he is angry, the
whites OF the eye will turn red and the
eve become CLASSY. When fed and pet
ted at the proper time the horse Is easily
trained, though naturally averse to the
control of man. | began my present
school three years ago and have had
great success. Kindness can't be dis
pensed with, though must not be used
at the wrong time. For instance, IL a
horse bites or kicks at you and you pat
him, he thinks that Is what you want
him to do. If taken right In the act and
Cuffed and made to behave, he knows he
Ia well treated when he does right
and punished when he don't. The
common faults OF horses, kicking,
baking, shying, running away,
pulling sidewise, refusing to back, or
running back, are mostly due to their
mouths never being properly controlled
by the bit. If you get control of their
months you can control the horse.
My experience has been that horses
bred for no particular purpose take TO
training most readily. In selecting a
horse | look for clean cut and well
proportional head, broad between the
eyes, full above them, and broad be-
tween good shaped, well stood up ears.
The eye full, with mild expression.
The professor advocates societies for
the prevention of cruelty to animals, as
having effected great good, having
laugh drivers the efficacy OF gentle
ness and kindness in the con-
troll OF their animals" Concluding
he was asked why he was so successful
With his school Of horses. He replied
that it WAS on account Of them being so
highly educated and owing, too, to the
fine business tact Of his present man
ager, Mr.. J. c. Patrick, Of whom he
spoke In the highest terms.
The horses are kept In a special car at
the l. Il G. n. depot, where the profess
sor also sleeps. This car is finely fitted
up, costing $4,000. 1t is ~ feet in
length and contains the stalls for the
horses, sleeping berths for, their at
PENDANTS, an Office and sleeping berth for
the professor. His attendants say the
professor sleeps on large mattress. and
when he retires, the mule Denver walks
all around the mattress to see that all il
right for the night, then lays himself
down beside his master, like a dog. and
keeps guard all night. Frequently In
tine night they can hear the professor
talking to him, saying, "Oh, roll over,
Denver" Don't lie on my foot" etc,
and the mule understands and oDeys.